The present invention relates to integral apparatus for switching input and output signals between a portable computer system and an external computer system.
Users of laptop computers often have one or more other computer systems with which they work. A common configuration involves a user having a computer at work another computer at home, and a laptop computer with which to shuttle data between, and perhaps to do work in transit. In order to fully utilize this configuration, the laptop computer and the additional computer systems, which are typically desktop computers, must have their data synchronized among them.
Two usability problems arise from this common configuration. First, users typically prefer to use one set of input devices over the other. For example, a user may prefer to use the keyboard and pointing device, such as a mouse, trackball, etc, of a desktop computer, rather than the keyboard and pointing device of the laptop computer. However, in this configuration, the user must alternate between using the preferred input devices and the non-preferred input devices.
A second problem arises when a user must use both the laptop computer and a desktop computer at the same time, such as when synchronizing data between the two computers. In this situation, the user must alternate between using the user interface devices, such as keyboard, input device, and display, of the two computers.
A need arises for a technique which allows a user to use any desired combination of keyboard, input device, and display to operate and control either of two computer systems.
The present invention is an apparatus which allows a user to use any desired combination of keyboard, input device, and display to operate and control either of two computer systems. In one embodiment the present invention is a switching apparatus in a computer system comprising a display adapter operable to output a display signal, an input adapter operable to receive a keyboard signal and a pointing device signal a display device operable to receive a display signal, a keyboard operable to output a keyboard signal, and a pointing device operable to output a pointing device signal. The switching apparatus comprises a display switching circuit connected to the display signal and connectable to an external display signal, operable to select between the display signal and the external display signal and output the selected signal to the display device or to an external display device; a keyboard switching circuit connected to the keyboard signal and connectable to an external keyboard signal, operable to select between the keyboard signal and the external keyboard signal and output the selected signal to the input adapter or to an external computer system; and a pointing device switching circuit connected to the pointing device signal and connectable to an external pointing device signal, operable to select between the pointing device signal and the pointing device keyboard signal and output the selected signal to the input adapter or to an external computer system.
The computer system may further comprise a central processing unit and the display switching circuit, the keyboard switching circuit, and the pointing device switching circuit may be controllable by the central processing unit.
In another embodiment, the present invention is a circuit in a computer system comprising a central processing unit a display device operable to receive a display signal, a keyboard operable to output a keyboard signal, and a pointing device operable to output a pointing device signal. The circuit comprises a display circuit connected to the display device and connectable to an external display device, operable to receive an external display signal, operable to generate a display signal to drive the display device and to generate a display signal to drive the external display device, operable to selectively output the generated display signal to the display device, the external display device or both the display device and the external display device, and operable to selectively output the external display signal to the display device, the external display device or both the display device and the external display device; a keyboard circuit connected to the keyboard and connectable to an external keyboard, operable to receive an external keyboard signal, operable to selectively output the keyboard signal to the central processing unit an external computer system, or both the central processing unit and an external computer system, and operable to selectively output the external keyboard signal to the central processing unit, an external computer system, or both the central processing unit and an external computer system; and a pointing device circuit connected to the pointing device and connectable to an external pointing device, operable to receive an external pointing device signal, operable to selectively output the pointing device signal to the central processing unit, an external computer system, or both the central processing unit and an external computer system, and operable to selectively output the external pointing device signal to the central processing unit, an external computer system, or both the central processing unit and an external computer system.
The display circuit, the keyboard circuit, and the pointing device circuit may be controllable by the central processing unit. The circuit may further comprise a memory operable to store information relating to a configuration, a setting, or a current state of the display circuit, the keyboard circuit, or the pointing device circuit, and operable to store information relating to the internal display, the external display, the internal pointing device, external pointing device, the internal keyboard, or the external keyboard.
The display circuit may be configured so as to output the generated display signal to the display device and the external display signal to the external display device, the keyboard circuit may be configured to output the keyboard signal to the central processing unit and the external keyboard signal to the external computer system, and the pointing device circuit may be configured to output the pointing device signal to the central processing unit and the external pointing device signal to the external computer system.
Alternatively, at least one of the following configurations may be selected: the display circuit may be configured so as to output the generated display signal to the external display device and the external display signal to the display device, the keyboard circuit may be configured to output the keyboard signal to the external computer system and the external keyboard signal to the central processing unit, and the pointing device circuit may be configured to output the pointing device signal to the external computer system and the external pointing device signal to the central processing unit.
Alternatively, at least one of the following configurations may be selected: the display circuit may be configured so as to output the generated display signal to the external display device and to the display device, the keyboard circuit may be configured to output the keyboard signal to the external computer system and to the central processing unit, and the pointing device circuit may be configured to output the pointing device signal to the external computer system and to the central processing unit.
Alternatively, at least one of the following configurations may be selected: the display circuit may be configured so as to output the external display signal to the external display device and to the display device, the keyboard circuit may be configured to output the external keyboard signal to the external computer system and to the central processing unit, and the pointing device circuit may be configured to output the external pointing device signal to the external computer system and to the central processing unit.
Alternatively, at least one of the following configurations may be selected: the display circuit may be configured so as to output the external display signal and the generated display signal to the display device, the keyboard circuit may be configured to output the external keyboard signal and the keyboard signal to the central processing unit, and the pointing device circuit may be configured to output the external pointing device signal and the pointing device signal to the central processing unit.
Alternatively, at least one of the following configurations may be selected: the display circuit may be configured so as to output the external display signal and the generated display signal to the external display device, the keyboard circuit may be configured to output the external keyboard signal and the keyboard signal to the external computer system, and the pointing device circuit may be configured to output the external pointing device signal and the pointing device signal to the external computer system.